Locomotive diaphragm and spark-arrester.



E. M. ROBERTS, DEGD.

A. 0. ROBERTS, ADMINISTRATRIX. LOCOMOTIVB DIAPHRAGM AND SPARK ARRESTER.

APPLIOATION FILED PERM, 1912. 1,090,754. Patented Mar.17, 191A 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

COLUMBIA PLANDGRAPH co.. WASHINGTON. D c.

ROBERTS, DEGD A. c. ROBERTS, ADMINISTRATRIX. LOGOMOTIVE DIAPHRAGM AND SPARK ARRESTER.

APPLICATION FILED PBB.14, 1912.

Patented Mar. 17, 191% 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH CO..WASNINGTON, D. o.

nivrrnn ravens Parana onion EDWARD M. ROBERTS, DECEASED, LATE OF ASHLAND, KENTUCKY, BY ANNIE C. ROBERTS, ADMINISTRATRIX, OF ASI-ILAND, KENTUCKY.

LOCOMOTIVE DIAPHRAGM AND SPARK-ARRESTER.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 1?, 191%.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that EDWARD M. RoBnR'rs, late a citizen of the United States and resident of Ashland, in the county of Boyd and State of Kentucky, invented certain new and useful Improvements in Locomotive Diaphragms and Spark-Arresters, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to improve ments in spark arresters and draft plates for locomotive boilers of the horizontal tubular type, and has for its purpose to not only improve their construction, but their general arrangement in the smoke box, whereby the smoke and other gases may pass unrestricted to and out of the smoke stack, thus giving a more uniform draft to the fire and permitting a large increase of area to the exhaust nozzle, resulting in large fuel economy and much greater engine efliciency.

In locomotive engines, it is the usual practice to employ a spark arrester consisting of a wire netting or a perforated plate (not hooded) interposed between the tubes of the boiler and the smoke stack, by which arrangement all smoke, gases and cinders must pass through the openings to escape to the atmosphere. When these openings are in any manner restricted, as by the accumulation of dirt or soot, it seriously affects the draft and proper steaming of the engine. The draft acting on the fire through the tubes is caused by the escaping steam through the exhaust pipe, and the diameter of this pipe enters very materially as factor in the steaming qualities of the engine. The means for regulating this draft consists usually in reducing the diameter of the exhaust pipe to increase the drafton the fire and in opening said exhaust pipe to decrease the draft, but this method is unsatisfactory since many of the locomotives of today are laboring under a heavy back pressure caused by too small a nozzle, and this back pressure cripples the power of the engine very materially, however, the above disadvantages are overcome, as it permits of the employment of a very much larger exhaust nozzle than that now used, at the same time making sufficient draft for proper combustion in the fire box, and thereby cutting down the back pressure in the cylinders. The diaphragm in question is provided With perforations Under the present invention,-

which conform to the shape of the flue open- 1ngs, and each opening has a hood which permits of adjustment for regulating the passage of draft therethrough. And cooperating with the draft plate is a spark arrester made along precisely the same lines as the draft plate and so disposed within the smoke box with relation thereto that the cinders are prevented from escaping through the stack in incandescent conditioh, permitting the smoke box tokeep itself clean, if desired, or trapping such a large proportion of the cinders as to make the locomotive particularly clean for passenger traffic, the advantages of which will be readily apparent.

The invention is, with respect to the draft plate, a further improvement on a similar invention disclosed in applicants patent bearing No. 514,337, under date of February 6, 1894..

The present invention is shown in its preferred embodiment in the accompanying drawing, wherein-- k Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section on the front extension of a locomotive boiler, showing the invention installed; Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof; Fig. 3 is a similar view looking from the line A A; Fig. 4 is a detail section of the spark arresting plate, and Fig. 5 is a sectional view thereof, taken along the line B-B.

Referring to the several figures in further detail, and wherein like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different liguresshown, 1 represents the smoke box, in which is mounted the usual exhaust nozzle 2, spark ar'ester 3, T-head l, and steam pipes 5, which communicate with the cylinders and are connected by the T-head with the dry-pipe (not shown).

The numeral 6 represents the boiler head, in which terminate the ends of a plurality of fire tubes 7 Ordinarily, the suction produced'through the fire tubes is effected in the manner described in the patent specification above referred to, and which is attended by disadvantages that have been considerably overeome by the draft plate forming the basis of said patent. The present invention employs a draft plate or diaphragm S disposed at the proper distance in front of the fire tubes 7, upon a curved bracket 9, and being formed, as above described, with substantially semi-circular perforations here.

9 which conform with the contour of the flue openings. In the formation of the draft plate, the slitting dies which perforate the sheet, at the same time provide the hoods 10, of which there is one for each of the openings 9, said hoods being all bent downwardly and disposed substantially in the same direction. It will be obvious that, through the medium of said hoods, the openings 9 for the passage of the smoke and other gases may be enlarged or restricted, as the type of engine may require, merely by bending these hoods to or from the plate 8 as the case may be. In all other respects, the structure of the draft plate 8 and its function is identical with that described in the patent above referred to and need not, therefore, be described in further detail In the present instance, an essential feature of the draft plate lies in its position relatively to and cooperation with the spark arrester 3, as will be now explained.

The spark arrester comprises, as stated,

a plate perforated with a plurality of semicircular openings 9, the hood members 10 whereof are all disposed in a downward direction in precisely that manner shown in Fig. 1, and as explained of the hoods on the draft plate the hoods of the arrester may be closed or opened with respect to their openings, whereby to permit greater or less communications through the plate as may be required. The arrester is disposed within the smoke box with its upper edge at the top and near the front door thereof and is extended rearwardly and at an angle bringing its lower edge to a point within approximately two inches of the draft plate 8 and below the lower row of openings in said draft plate. By this arrangement, in combination with the hooded diaphragm, the cinders are passed forward and deflected against the front part of the smoke box with a whirling motion, the succeeding exhausts taking them out through the openings of the spark arrester. It will be noted that by this arrangement, the gases and smoke may pass unrestricted to the stack and out, which is substantially equivalent to the entire removal of the customary wire netting. This gives a very decided improvement in drafting the fire and permits of a large increase of area of the exhaust nozzle resulting in large fuel economy and much greater engine efiiciency. The space between the adjacent edges of the draft plate and the spark arrester, designated by the numeral 11, provides a sort of relief port'or auxiliary opening for gases and cinders to be drawn out by the suction ofthe exhaust, by which action the front of the smoke box cannot become charged with cinders since it is, through the medium just described, virtually self-cleaning. For access to the draft plate, the exhaust nozzle 2, or parts adjacent thereto, the spark arrester 3 is horizontally divided along the line 12, the sect-ions whereof are connected by a number of hinges 13.

\Vhat is claimed is The combination with a tubular locomotive boiler having a. smoke'box at its forward end, the front wall of which is vertical, of a perforated draft plate disposed in 7 front of the fire tubes of the boiler and extending forwardly and downwardly therefrom, hoods projecting downwardly from the rear face of said plate and overlying said perforations, of a perforated spark arinward to the inner portion ofthe vortex,

to be precipitated by the latter.

The foregoing specification slgned' at Catlettsburg, Kentucky, this 2a" day of January, 1912.

ANNIE C. ROBERTS, Admz'a istmtrwof the estate of Edward M.

Roberts, deceased. In presence of C. L. NILLIAMs, J. J. MoN'rAeUn.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Gommlssioner of Patents.

Washington, I). G." 

